TITLE 28
Labor and Labor Relations

CHAPTER 28-27
Mechanical Trades

SECTION 28-27-6

§ 28-27-6 Corporations and firms engaged
in business. 
(a) No corporation, firm, association or partnership shall engage in business,
advertise, make application for and take out permits, bid for work, or
represent itself as a mechanical contractor, pipefitter, refrigeration/air
conditioning, fire protection sprinkler systems master or contractor or sheet
metal contractor unless:

(1) A licensed mechanical contractor, pipefitter,
refrigeration/air conditioning, fire protection sprinkler systems master, or
sheet metal contractor as applicable, as provided in this chapter is
continuously engaged in the supervision of that entity's installation,
maintenance, and repair work and the licensed master is an officer of the
corporation, a partner in the partnership, or a similarly authorized principal
of any such firm, association, or other entity; or

(2) That entity possesses a valid mechanical contractor,
pipefitter, refrigeration-air conditioning, fire protection sprinkler systems
contractor's or sheet metal contractor license, as applicable, duly issued by
the department of labor and training as further described in subsection (b) of
this section.

(b) Upon application of any of the above entities in form and
substance prescribed by the department of labor and training, and receipt of
the fee for the application and license which shall be equal to the fee for a
mechanical contractor, pipefitter, refrigeration-air conditioning, sheet metal,
fire protection sprinkler systems master, or sheet metal contractor license as
described in § 28-27-17, as the same may be amended from time to time, the
department of labor and training shall issue the applicant entity a license as
a mechanical contractor, as applicable. The contractor's license shall specify
the name of the entity holding the license and shall state that the license
holder: (1) has a masters license in the mechanical trades, as defined in
§ 28-27-1.0, and who is continuously engaged in the supervision of the
entity's installation, maintenance, and repair work, and who is an officer of
the corporation, a partner in the partnership, or a similarly authorized
principal of any such firm, association, or other entity; or (2) continuously
employs at all times while holding this license a person with a masters license
in the applicable mechanical trade, as provided in this chapter, who shall be
continuously engaged in the supervision of the entity's installation,
maintenance, and repair work. The contractor's license shall entitle the entity
holding the license to engage in business, advertise, bid for work, or
represent itself as a mechanical contractor, and also entitles the entity to
make application for and take out permits through its duly authorized officer
or similarly authorized principal as well as through the duly licensed
contractor master as described in this section or the duly licensed master
continuously employed by the entity as stated in this section, as the case may
be. The contractor's license shall not, however, in and of itself permit a
principal, officer, employee, or agent of the entity holding the license to
individually engage in installation, maintenance, or repair work as described
in this section unless the principal, officer, employee, or agent is
individually licensed to do so.

(c) Any work engaged in, advertised for, applied for by
permit, bid for, or represented to be permissible, shall be solely of the type
for which the licensed master or contract master who serves as an officer or
similarly authorized principal of the entity or who, in the case of a licensed
master, is continuously employed by the entity holding a contractor's licenses,
is duly licensed to perform.

(d) Any licensed master or contractor master who serves as an
officer or similarly authorized principal of such an entity or who, in the case
of a licensed master, is continuously employed by an entity holding a
contractor's license, shall represent the interests of one such entity and only
one such entity at any given time as described in this section.

(e) If the licensed master or contractor master described in
this section ceases to be an officer or similarly authorized principal of one
of the entities described in this section or, in the case of a licensed master,
ceases to be continuously employed by an entity holding a contractor's license
for any reason whatsoever, the entity shall provide written notice of the
cessation of continuous employment to the department of labor and training no
more than fourteen (14) days after the effective date of occurrence of the
cessation. Any entity so affected shall provide written notice to the
department of labor and training specifying the licensed master or contractor
master who shall replace the departed licensed master or contractor master, as
applicable, referenced in this section no more than forty-five (45) days after
the effective date of occurrence of the cessation.

(f) No corporation, firm, association, partnership, or other
entity which engages in, offers to engage in, or represents that it engages in
the mechanical trades for the purpose of maintenance, or repair work in the
state of Rhode Island shall be permitted to incorporate, form, qualify to do
business, or otherwise register with the Rhode Island secretary of state's
office until and unless that office has first received a written confirmation
from the department of labor and training that all requisite licenses to be
issued by the department of labor and training have been issued and remain in
good standing.

(g) Any willful violation of this section shall be grounds
for revocation of license as further described in § 28-27-21.